Parking plan gets first ok, appears to have votes to pass

Mar. 2, 2013

Community members listen as Milton Dohoney, Cincinnati City Manager, and Laura Brunner, CEO of the Port Authority of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, speak during a hearing Monday at City Council regarding the controversial parking proposal. / The Enquirer/Amanda Davidson

Written by

and Cindi Andrews

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Cincinnati’s controversial parking proposal got its first official OK on Friday and appears to have enough support to pass when City Council votes next week.

The city’s planning commission voted unanimously to recommend that council pass the lease of parking garages and lots. Member John Schneider, well known as a big proponent of the streetcar project, called the lease very balanced and was pleased when officials reiterated that neither the city nor the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority will be on the hook for money if revenues don’t come in as projected.

And now the council split seems to have tipped in favor of City Manager Milton Dohoney’s proposal to lease most of the city’s parking facilities and its meters to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority.

Councilmembers Yvette Simpson, Wendell Young and Cecil Thomas all told the Enquirer Friday their probable support has become definitive support. Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls was the first to support it.

“I asked a lot of questions,” Simpson said. “I still think it’s a great financial deal.”

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Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan said she still had a couple questions but was leaning more toward supporting it after the administration outlined the number of jobs to be created by projects paid for with the $92 million to be generated upfront from the lease. The project to build a 30-story tower at Fourth and Race streets alone, she said, would generate 650 construction jobs and 37 permanent ones.

The city would lease its parking meters for 30 years, its garages and lots for 50. In return, the city would get $92 million upfront plus at least $3 million a year for the life of the lease. Another benefit for the city: some of the revenue could go into the general fund, which sees annual deficits. Now, parking money is restricted only for parking use.

If the parking plan doesn’t pass, Dohoney said 344 jobs would have to be cut, including 189 sworn and non-sworn police department employees as well as 80 firefighters. Both police and fire recruit classes also would have to be cut, he said, pools and community centers closed.

Councilman Chris Seelbach, who had said he was undecided, switched Friday to a definite no. He pitched his own plan, “Plan S,” that would balance the 2013-14 city budget with a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases, including a trash collection fee of up to $10 per month. The trash fee and another piece of Seelbach’s plan, increasing admissions fees to sports and entertainment events by 2 percent, would both require the approval of city voters.

Voters rejected a trash fee in November 2011. This would repeal that and add the $10 cap.

“Even though it seems they have five votes now, that was before there was an alternative,” he said. “I hope they will at least consider this before going forward with the vote.”

The plan would not provide money to fast-track completion of an Interstate 71 exit at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive or build an apartment tower at the Pogue’s Garage site Downtown, or do any of the other projects Dohoney wants to spend the money on, including building the Wasson Way bike trail.

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The trash fee would bring in $10.8 million a year and the admissions fee $2.6 million, Seelbach said. He also proposed eliminating nearly $5 million in spending that the new priority-driven process identified as low-priority. Targets include most employee take-home cars; park department special events; the offices of council members, the mayor and the city manager.

His plan would also reduce the upcoming police and fire recruit classes to save $344,000 and leave vacant 20 unfilled positions to save $1 million.

Dohoney’s office had no response to Seelbach’s plan Friday, spokeswoman Meg Olberding said, beyond this: “Council members have the prerogative to to propose any legislation they choose.”

Councilmen Christopher Smitherman and Charlie Winburn say they’re working on a proposal also.

Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls was the first to support the proposal. She also voted for it as a member of the planning commission. She plans to discuss it Monday and possibly vote at her budget committee, 1 p.m. in council chambers.